Kai Takahashi
Kai Takahashi (高橋会, Takahashi Kai) is an Echt Quincy who is the aunt of Yūki Takahashi and sister of Michio Takahashi, Yūki's Father. She is currently the Chief Financial Officer of the Takahashi Foundation with an office out of Karakura Hospital and is currently living in the Ishida House with Ryūken Ishida. Appearance Kai Takahashi is a middle aged woman of average height and is slender and buxom, unlike her niece. She normally wears a white buttoned down shirt under a black waistcoat, and a light blue tie to solidify her status as a Quincy. Her most distinguishing feature is her piercing turquoise eyes, which are usually set with a look of uncaring. She usually wears her full and straight crimson hair down her back, but has since started wearing it in a plain down her back. Her crimson fringe sweeps across her forehead just above her eyes, and she keeps it tucked behind her right ear since her left eye is the most dominant. Personality Kai's attitude can be seen as uncaring and unfeeling as she generally stays out of people's affairs, and only offers advice if she feels someone is about to do something she feels is stupid or detrimental to their life. This stems from her upbringing under the tutelage of Sōken Ishida, being forcefully disconnected from the Quincy, and having her heart broken as a teenager by Ryūken. This reflects in her everyday tasks, which she approaches with general callousness and malaise. Yūki misunderstands her Aunt as being bitter, but also doesn't know exactly what cause Kai to be that way. Yūki thinks it has to do with her mother, Ayaka Takahashi, forcing Kai to stay away from her Quincy Prodigy niece. Despite her outwardly blasé attitude, Kai can be quite loving and affectionate to those she loves, even going as far as to adopt Keiji Azai as a young boy, and training him as she would have her own son. Kai is also a very coquettish woman, and had a penchant for one night stands to hide her broken heart and loneliness before reconciling with Ryūken. Kai shares a long standing rivalry with Isshin Kurosaki, who is in theory, her brother-in-law through Kai's brother Michio's marriage to Ayaka Kurosaki, Masaki's older sister. Though related by marriage, they have never truly gotten along as Isshin thinks Kai is an absinthian woman who needs to get laid, while Kai sees Isshin as nothing but a brutish idiot. Now that they have gotten older Kai and Isshin speak on occasion, but the tension still resides between them. Kai also shares a long standing relationship with Ryūken Ishida, being as Sōken Ishida trained the both of them in their youth. Their friendship turned into a romantic relationship and Ryūken almost left everything behind for her. That was ended when Kai was injured by a hollow and lost the ability to have children. This caused Ryūken's mother to convince him to be with Masaki instead, effectively shattering their close relationship. Kai's resentment deepened when Masaki left to be with Isshin and instead of going back to Kai, he chose Kanae Katagiri instead. Kai blamed him for choosing to reproduce to further the Quincy heritage instead of choosing his feelings and was left brokenhearted for years. Riza Ishida, her Quincy rival for many reasons, thinks this may be a cause as to why Ryūken shuns their heritage, because it was their traditions that forced Ryūken against his will to leave the only woman he truly ever loved. It wasn't until Uryū Ishida, his son and Yūki's betrothed, began to date and train that they decided that their loneliness meant more than the trauma they had endured at each other's hands. They've since reconciled and not live together at the Ishida House. History Kai was introduced to Ryūken Ishida through her brother, Michio, when thy were both fairly young. Kai fell in love with Ryūken instantly, even though she didn't know what she was feeling exactly. Despite not wanting to train because being a Quincy didn't interest her initially, Ryūken and Michio both convinced her, so she began to train under Sōken Ishida's tutelage. As Ryūken and Michio became best friends, Kai began a rivalry with Riza Ishida, Ryūken's twin sister, since Riza didn't like Kai's blasé attitude towards the Ouincy, or life in general. This caused Ryūken and Kai to grow closer as she was the healer of their group. Eventually, as young teens, they began to date. This pleased Sōken since he adored her since she reminded him of his own mother, but caused strife with Ryuken's mother and Riza, who felt Kai was a bad influence on Ryūken since she smoked, and was generally a rebellious teenaged girl who didn't respect authority. One night Kai had been out with some girlfriends and had been attacked by a hollow. The injury she sustained sent her to the hospital, causing Ryūken, with Michio's help, to sneak out to visit her against his mother's wishes. When it was revealed she had lost her ability to have children, this hurt Ryūken and in his moment of hurt, his mother convinced him to leave Kai and pushed him towards Masaki Kurosaki, who had just started living their household since her older sister was to be married. By this time Michio had begun the betrothing process with Ayaka Kurosaki, which took him from his now grieving Kai, since Ryūken had also left her. One night after training under Sōken, she could hear Riza and Ryūken's mother chastising Masaki. She was leaving his house when she was approached by Ryūken, and accused of spiting him and attempting to break up he and Masaki's relationship. After he admitted how much he loved Masaki over Kai, she retorted callously that it wasn't she or Riza who had told his mother, but Kanae, since she was the only one truly loyal to her. Once Ryūken had gone back inside she stormed off, only to be stopped by Isshin. They spoke for a bit, both having a small drink over their troubles with love, before they both felt Ryūken and Masaki's spiritual pressure. Isshin and Kai both dispatched the hollow chasing Ryūken, only to find out that Masaki had been infected with a hollow hole. To help her former love, she was about to attempt to heal Masaki when Kisuke Urahara arrived and insisted that only he could help Masaki. At the Urahara Shop Ryūken, Kai, and Isshin learned about Hollowfication. Kai stayed quiet while Isshin and Ryūken began to argue, but truly felt sorry that Masaki had been so badly injured. After Isshin saved Masaki, Ryūken and Kai got into another argument, since Kai was initially hurt that Ryūken would accuse her of being so childish. He rebuked her, saying that she was rebellious enough and he had every reason to belie she'd break up their relationship. Kai left after that and went straight home. She packed her bags and the very next day, left Karakura Town for Tokyo. Kai hesitantly returned to Karakura Town upon the death of their parents, only to stay to work for her brother Michio since he'd just started up the Takahashi Foundation with his inheritance. Equipment Quincy Cross (滅却十字 (クインシー・クロス), Kuinshī Kurosu; Japanese for "Destruction Cross"): Kai's Quincy Cross is in the shape of a pentacle, however, there are small baguette shaped lapis lazuli stones on the ends of the pentacle, as well as in the center, holding the metal together. Also, where as Ryūken's has a circle shape behind the pentacle, hers has a hexagon, the points of the hexagon on the stems of the arms of the pentacle. She wears it on her right wrist as part of a silver charm bracelet. Seele Schneider: Kai has a large stash of Seele Schneiders that she hides within her home, and two she keeps attached to her belt under her white suit jacket, just in case they are needed. Gintō (銀筒, Silver Tubes): Given that Kai was once the healer of the group similarly to how Orihime Inoue is for her friends, Kai still carries Gintō with her that have high-powered healing spells within them. Powers & Abilities Reishi Manipulation: As a Quincy, Kai primarily absorbs spiritual energy from the atmosphere, and combines it with her own spiritual energy to form weapons. She has an easier time collecting this energy in environments with higher concentrations of Reishi such as in Soul Society or Hueco Mundo. She can also use the Reishi around her to heal minor wounds. Master Archer: Kai possesses all the skill of the previous generation as her powers were passed to her by her Mother. Her skill in archery is to the point all Kai needs to do is hear her opponent and she can hit her target without looking; she can also curve her arrows to hit targets someone without harming anything but the target. *'Heilen' (癒す, (癒します), Iyashimasu; German for "Heal", Japanese for "Heal It"): An advanced Quincy technique which grants Kai the ability to collect reishi from the atmosphere and direct it to heal minor wounds inflicted upon herself, or another. :*'Heilen Wunden ' (傷を癒やす (傷を癒す), Kizuoiyasu; German for "Heal Wounds"; Japanese for "Heal All Wounds"): A similar technique to Blut Vene, this technique is exceptionally powerful as it creates a shield around either herself or another. Wounds inflected to those within the shield heal instantly and it give the person within the shield a momentary invincibility. Gintō Expert: Kai is able to use the spiritual energy within the silver tubes to create similar effects to the Shinigami's Kidō. Normally they can be used for a multitude of offensive and defensive means, but Kai only uses them to augment her natural healing abilities. Spirit Weapon Heilig Bogen (神聖弓 (ハイリッヒ・ボーグン), Hairihhi Bōgun; German for "Holy Bow", Japanese for "Sacred Bow"): Like most Quincy, Kai uses a bow as her primary weapon, but can also change the size and capability of it at will. *'Heilig Pfeil' (神聖滅矢 (ハイリッヒ・プファイル), Hairihhi Pufairu; German for "Holy Arrow," Japanese for "Sacred Destruction Arrows"): By further condensing Reishi, Kai can form spiritual arrows. Navigation Category:Bleach/Characters